This invention relates to a decorative humidifier and fountain. More specifically, it relates to a decorative fountain that produces large volumes of air that have been filtered and humidified.
Decorative fountains for indoor use have become a popular addition to home decor for several reasons. The sound of flowing water has a soothing effect, reducing stress, allowing the homeowner to more thoroughly relax and unwind at the end of the day. Watching water move has a similar relaxing effect, taking the watcher""s mind off more mundane thoughts while focusing on droplets of water as they fall or trickle down a path to a pool.
An open pool of water also allows for evaporation, adding humidity into the air. In the winter, when furnace heating leads to very dry air, increasing the humidity by any means makes the climate more comfortable for the inhabitants and help to protect wood furniture and other household items that can become cracked or brittle if allowed to become too dry.
Water passing through air also has a cleansing effect. As droplets fall through the air, contaminants that are water soluble contact the water and are dissolved therein. Particulate matter entrained in the air, such as smoke or smog, which contacts the droplet surface, clings to the surface due to surface tension. Air that has been thoroughly contacted with water looks, feels and smells clean and fresh, like a fresh breeze after a summer rain.
Self-contained fountains are known for indoor use as well. Small table-top units provide the soothing sights and sounds of running water, but are too small to provide useful levels of humidification or air purification. Decorative water fountains are known as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,211,378 granted Oct. 12, 1965, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,368 granted Dec. 1, 1992.
Home or room humidifiers are well known for indoor use. They generally consist of a stream of air that passes through an evaporative element that is saturated with water. Although they do a fine job of humidifying the air, they are not fun to watch. There is no soothing or relaxing aspect of operating a humidifier.
Combination humidifiers and fountains are shown in a number of prior patents. U.S. Pat. No. 4,217,315 to Keeler discloses a fountain and moving helical sculpture. Water is pumped to the top of the helix floating on a pool and allowed to flow downward, causing the helix to turn due to the change in momentum of the water as it flows.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,538 to Dunn et al., water is pumped to a trough, then allowed to flow downwardly over a series of solid inclined panels. The water empties into a pool below the panels. A pump constantly refills the trough with water from the pool. This apparatus relies only on room air currents and humidifies only the air that happens to come into contact with the water, thus inefficiently humidifying the air only in the vicinity of the fountain.
Kim, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,595, describes an indoor fountain and air cleaner. The enclosed fountain relies on a fan to draw air into the unit and expel it through vent holes. Disks of an absorbent filter media are oriented vertically below a nozzle that spouts the water upwardly. Thus, both the absorbent media and the water flow are generally parallel to the flow air. Although the fan could increase the volume of air through the unit, air and water contact is inefficient because they move generally parallel to each other, making it possible for a large volume of air to pass through the fountain without coming into direct contact with the water. Air is also permitted to bypass an absorbent filter media by taking the path of least resistance between the vertical disks of absorbent media. Complete enclosure of the fountain for silent operation also locks inside the soothing sounds of the water.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,935 to Wolfe et al., a freestanding indoor humidifier includes a water curtain that empties into a collecting pool. As discussed above, the air is not channeled through the water curtain to improve contact between the air and water, thus only air immediately surrounding the device is contacted with the falling water.
None of the prior art teaches that the addition of an air circulation device, such as a fan, is useful for improving contact between the air and the water. Prior art devices are limited to treating air in the immediate vicinity of the unit that happens to come into contact with the water, thereby treating a relatively small volume of air. Once treated, the cleaner, moister air must circulate slowly due to normal air currents and diffusion, an air movement technique that is very inefficient. Although an equilibrium level of humidity would eventually be reached, humidity is lost each time a door or window is opened. The lost moisture then has to be very slowly replaced by diffusion from the fountain, leading to cleaning and humidifying of a volume of air in a room or a house that, overall, would be small or negligible.
There is a need in the art for an improved humidifier, air filter and fountain combination that contacts air and water efficiently and humidifies a volume of air. There is also a need for an improved humidifier and air filter combination that is decorative and produces soothing sights and sounds.
A decorative humidifying and fountain apparatus containing water for simultaneously humidifying and purifying air is disclosed that produces soothing sights and sounds as well as efficiently cleaned and humidified air. This combination unit performs several tasks that make indoor living more pleasant. First, the air is humidified by contact with a moving stream of water and by passing through an evaporative element. Secondly, while in contact with the water stream, impurities in that air are removed from the air. The air is also filtered through an evaporative element to remove any particulate material that may be entrained. Finally, the unit is designed as a decorative fountain or waterfall, bringing the pleasant sight and sounds of running water to the indoors.
More specifically, a decorative humidifying apparatus containing water for simultaneously humidifying and purifying air is disclosed. It includes a housing and a water distributor for forming a water curtain. The water curtain has a first portion and a second portion. A filter is sized and proportioned to filter the air as it exits the fountain. A pool is positioned so as to receive the water from the water curtain. Water is circulated from the pool to said water distributor with a water circulating means. An air circulator draws air through the first portion of the water curtain, forcing air through the filter means, then forcing air through the second portion of the water curtain.
Preferably the water flow in the water curtain and the air flow through the water curtain are transverse to each other. In the preferred embodiment, the fountain also includes a reservoir in fluid communication with the pool to supply make-up water as needed.
Compared to prior art fountains, the present invention is able to effectively treat relatively large volumes of air. The present fountain specifically directs the flow of air, rather than treating only a small volume of air that happens to contact a stream or flow of water. Air is specifically channeled to the water curtain and forced through it, rather than relying on ambient air/water contact.
Contact between the water and the air to be treated is also improved by forcing the air through the water curtain twice. Air is channeled so that it enters the unit by passing through a first or top portion of the water curtain. Here is it partially humidified and purified. The air flow is then channeled behind the water curtain and forced outward, pushing the air through the second portion of the water curtain. In passing through the water curtain a second time, there is another opportunity for the water to collect and dissolve impurities, and for water vapor to become entrained in the air flow.
In addition to forcing air flow through the water curtain, the air is also forced through an evaporative filter element. The filter is conveniently placed behind the second portion of the water curtain. In this position, it is partially hidden from view by the waterfall, making the unit more pleasant to observe. The evaporative filter element greatly improves the humidification performance of the unit. It also helps remove airborne contaminants.